Small scholarships force students in Latvia to work

In Latvia, state scholarships for university students are very small – around €100 per month – and only about 10% of students receive them. This covers only a fraction of living costs, so most students must work during their studies. Combining classes and a job has become the norm. Over half of Latvian students now work alongside their studies. Low stipends compel students to spend many hours at work instead of on coursework, which negatively affects academic progress. To afford rent, food, and materials, they often work evening shifts or weekends. 

This constant financial pressure adds stress and makes it difficult to fully concentrate on education, preventing students from realizing their academic potential. As long as scholarships remain low, external support. For example, help from a student service like Majasdarbs.lv – enables working students to manage their workload and continue their education successfully.

Study or work: how low stipends affect Latvian students

Insufficient financial support is changing student life in Latvia. Only a small fraction of students receive a state stipend, and even that amount (around €100) is far from enough for basic expenses. The rest must rely on family assistance or work to cover their needs. For many, there is little choice – they have to work almost full-time while studying. This inevitably affects their studies. Due to fatigue and lack of time, students prepare less, do assignments late or postpone them, hurting their academic performance. Some are forced to take fewer courses or extend their studies to balance work. In this way, a meager stipend forces young people to choose between financial survival and academic success. 

This underfunding means student potential isn’t fully realized at the national level. Many cannot devote themselves entirely to studies. As long as stipends remain so low, students seek alternative support. For instance, they turn to a service like Majasdarbs.lv for professional academic help, which reduces their study load while they work.

When scholarships are symbolic: how Latvian students cope with the financial burden

For years, student scholarships in Latvia have remained at a token low level, not keeping pace with rising living costs. As a result, more and more students have to cover almost all expenses themselves. Statistics reflect this trend: in recent years, over 60% of students have been working while studying. To ease the financial strain, many cut down on daily expenses. Living with family or in dormitories and skipping costly leisure. Yet even strict frugality rarely eliminates the need to work. Constant worry about money and fatigue from work reduce the time and energy available for studies. Calls are growing to increase scholarships so that students can focus on education. But so far there has been little change, so students find solutions on their own. 

They try to plan their time efficiently; many extend their study period to accommodate a job. External help has also become popular – Majasdarbs.lv provides professional assistance with study projects, allowing students to save time and maintain their performance even while working intensively.

More on our blog.

If you are a student and don’t have enough time to write and format your papers, we recommend that you read the detailed material on our blog. The articles discuss the main criteria for choosing a topic, typical student mistakes, and the requirements of Latvian universities. This will help you avoid mistakes and save time during the writing stage.

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More information from universities.

As an additional guide, you can check out examples of student and graduation papers posted in the open archive of the Latvian university Ekonomikas un kultūras augstskola (EKA). The archive contains papers from different years and fields, which can be useful for a general understanding of the structure and approaches to writing academic papers.

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Successful defense of your work confirms that you are ready to apply the knowledge you have gained in your professional activities and solve problems in your chosen field. If you are interested in additional questions related to the preparation of academic work, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with other materials on our blog. They cover the most common difficulties students encounter, the structure of work, and practical recommendations.